AI Attack Ships Versus AI Defense Ships

[Omega]

Does anyone know for certain if the AI uses it ships differently if they are defense ships? Are the AI defense ships used in fleets? Would there be any negative ramifications if the AI did not build any defense ships?

I am working on an AI mod (almost complete) and I have been unable to determine if the AI uses defense ships any differently than it’s attack ships. One would think that the defense ships would not leave friendly territory and would attack any intruders. Does anyone know for sure?

[Alpha Kodiak]

Well, I'll tell you what I know, though there is much I am not sure of. I do know that the AI will put fleets of defense ships together. Typically, those fleets will patrol around those systems you have claimed. I am not sure what type of pattern (if any) that they follow.

I have seen the AI on a couple of occasions mass a large fleet of defense ships on a resupply planet in a rear area and then just leave them there.

Since seeing that, I have reduced the number of defense ships built by my race AI's in favor of attack ships. I'm not sure what the drawbacks would be to not building any defense ships, as it seems that the AI will use attack ships to intercept incoming fleets.

Hopefully, others can fill in some details that I don't know.

[Atraikius]

As far as I've been able to determine, if a defense ship is used - the AI will form defense fleets of only defense ships (with an occasional carrier)which are used to patrol those systems that the AI claims, while the attack ships are used for the attack fleets. If only attack ships are designed, then the AI will use them in both attack and defense fleets.